Pro Photography Business Tips | Photography is an important art form, but can you make a living from it? In the era of selfies and Instagram, starting a photography business might feel like a scary venture into the unknown, but it can also be a dream come true for those passionate about photography. The truth of the matter is that taking stunning photos will take you only so far, and now that pretty much everyone carries a powerful camera in their pocket, you need to bring your A game if you want to grab the attention of your target audience and turn photography into your livelihood.

We all know that it takes a lot of guts to quit your day job and pursue your passion. What many fail to understand, though, is that it takes a lot more than just guts and some extra cash on your hands for the equipment. After all, there are many very talented photographers out there that launched a business, struggled for a few months and eventually closed it down. Starting a business is easy – turning it into a success story, on the other hand, is a completely different story! Here’s what you need to know if you want to turn your passion for photography into a steady source of income!

Get Plenty Of Experience Before Jumping On The Bandwagon | Pro Photography Business Tips

Taking photography classes is a great idea, but there’s no denying that there are some things you will learn only by getting yourself out there with your camera and taking photos as much and often as you can. This is probably easier said than done, because every potential client will want to check out your portfolio before hiring you to shoot their wedding day, for example. The easiest way to not only build your portfolio, but to actually practice your skills and learn everything about the industry is by finding a mentor, or going as the second shooter with an experienced photographer. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how well you are everything else, if the photos you take don’t amaze and impress potential clients, your chances of success will be slim!

Get The Right Equipment | Pro Photography Business Tips

The equipment will be one of the most important investments you make, so you need to make sure you spend your budget wisely. Keep in mind your area of specialization and your ideal client in mind when shopping for gear – each niche has specific equipment requirements. But don’t blow your entire budget just on your primary equipment – remember, you also need to invest a good chunk into backup equipment. Even brand new gear fails, and the last thing you want is to have your camera break down in the middle of a wedding.

Set Your Prices | Pro Photography Business Tips

Most photographers absolutely dread the topic of pricing, and many even leave it up to the potential client to set the terms. You’re the only one that knows just how much you need to charge for the services you’re providing in order to cover all of your expenses and break even. Think about it this way, if you don’t know your own worth, how is anyone else supposed to know it? After all, it’s better to have at least a starting point when a potential client approaches you even if you have to lower the price to secure the gig.

Don’t Tell Them What You Can Do For Them. Show Them! | Pro Photography Business Tips

Once you get enough experience and build a solid portfolio, you’ll want to go through all of your work, narrow down your selection to only the best examples and set up a website to showcase them. Not every website is created equal though. Your job is to come up a unique, simple, and appropriate design that will not only appeal to your ideal client, but will also allow your work to take the center stage and not overshadow it. In addition to good design and careful selection of images, make sure you include your most important contact details, so potential clients that go through your portfolio and like what they see can reach out to you the moment they decide to pick up the phone.

You Will Need To Wear A Baker’s Dozen Of Hats | Pro Photography Business Tips

If you think you’ll be able to dedicate all of your time to taking pictures when you launch your own business, you’re up for a rude awakening. In order to keep your business afloat, you’ll need to handle pretty much everything, or cough up the money to have someone else do it for you. For example, search engine optimization is a critical element for the success of your website, and building a solid social media presence is definitely no longer optional. If you don’t want to tackle SEO, consider investing in a monthly contract with a reputable agency.

Don’t Be Afraid To Be Yourself | Pro Photography Business Tips

Let’s face it, pretty much every photographers has access to the same equipment and the same locations, so you need to make sure you find a way to communicate to your potential clients what it is that makes what you do unique and what makes you the photographer they should hire! There’s good news, though – while there are other photographers using the same equipment out there, none of them can be one thing – you! Let your personality shine, whether you’re replying to an email, composing a new tweet, publishing a blog post or greeting a client in person. Photographers hold a great deal of trust, and if you let your potential clients to get to know you a bit better, they’ll be much more likely to hire you.

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I had been following Media Novak’s work for a while now and was always impressed with their logo work. The logo designs they came up with based on my wishes for what I wanted it to look like were above and beyond what I had imagined. The process itself was smooth and so easy. I gave input and they took it on board and applied it to the next design. I would highly recommend them any day!

Chantal Lachance-Gibson Photography

I cannot begin to say enough about Mark & the team at Media Novak. Their customer service has been TOP NOTCH! They have gone way beyond my expectations and dreams and have put together a website for me that I am so proud of… I actually can’t believe that it’s mine! If you are looking for a new website or new branding then look no further… contact these guys today!

Myrick Cowart – Photographer

Thank you thank you thank you! I really appreciate all of your help and your quick replies and editing, and well, everything. I will DEFINITELY be referring your team! I love my new logo and I love that it is completely my own and completely encompasses my brand. I really appreciate all of the time and effort your team has put into this project. Thank you again and again!

Bethany Petersen – Photographer

I decided to hire Media Novak after seeing a friends logo that I really liked. I sent them my ideas but I actually preferred one of their original concepts over my own ideas! They really understood the look and feel I was trying to achieve and I am delighted with my new logo! I found the process to be really enjoyable and smooth and emails were answered very quickly… a big thumbs up from me!

Karen McGowran – Photographer

Media Novak were helpful and listened to me as the client… never once tried to push their likes onto me… but they do offer good advice. I think what has mattered most to me was once we went live, they were very much still around to iron out little problems that only became noticeable to myself with the daily running of a website and a blog! I would highly recommend them to other businesses!

Jo-Ann Stokes – Photographer

Media Novak designed a beautiful website for me and I’m very satisfied with it. They listened to what I wanted and tailored the site to fit me and I really appreciate that. Their prices are reasonable and the quality is fantastic. I would highly recommend this company.

About Us

MediaNovak is a creative design agency that specializes in web design, online marketing, graphic design and corporate identity solutions. We started our company with some basic ideals—offer our customers exceptional design, while delivering a positive customer experience.

These ideals have helped grow our business and drive customers to our door. A majority of our business comes simply from “word of mouth” referrals—one customer telling another of the experience that we offer here. We consider this the ultimate compliment.